I have a vintage vehicle up for sale (1955) in the state of Ky., and have a buyer interested in it who lives in Tenn. I only have a bill of sale on the vehicle,(been in a barn since 1971) how much trouble would the buyer have trying to get it licensed in Tenn. I've heard it is impossible as Tenn. is a title for title state. How do people go about getting a title for an old barn find, or abandoned vehicle in Tenn? Any help would be appreciated.
If it were me selling the car, I, as the seller, would contact a license/title bureau in Tennessee, to get the factual way of proceeding, so the deal would not fall apart and the buyer would not become discouraged.
Is Kentucky a title state? If so, title it in your name in Kentucky first, then sell it. You should even get more $$ for it then. You may need to get a bonded title in Kentucky, but those can be sold (at least here in Iowa they can).
If Ky is a none title state like Al or Ms you will need a nortazied bill of sale ,then there is a form you fill out and have a deputy or highway patrol officer sign off on the form and you can alppy for a title , Al and Ms do not require a title if the vechile is over 35 years old .
I went to Tennessee's Motor Vehicle website, and it says something about abandoned vehicles, for more than 3 weeks(?), just need a bill of sale that is notarized, but it doesn't say anything about classic cars. It also reads like the vehicle has to be abandoned in the state of Tn., not coming from out of state. In Ky. we can get a project title from a bill of sale, and the County Sheriff checking your vin number to see if it shows up stolen. Then when the car is drivable, you take your project title in for a permanent title. I was told you can transfer a project title, but don't know if it will be accepted in the state of Tenn. Don't know if the guy wants to wait for a project title to be applied for, and then mailed to me. That may take up to 6 weeks. We will see.
a couple of years ago, I inherited a '64 Caddy from an uncle in AL. The last paper work on the car other than tag registration was the original sale paperwork from 1964 when my aunt and uncle bought the car new. I got the tag registration, the original bill of sale and a letter from the probate court. I thought getting this changed and titled in Maryland would be a nightmare. Turns out I was wrong. No problem what so ever. I agree about checking with the Tennessee motor vehicle office.
I'm not gonna say for sure that you're wrong, but regarding Mississippi, I think you might be. Like a lot of southern states, MS was fairly late adopting vehicle titles ... either mid-'60s or mid-70s, I don't remember which. (That's probably where the 35 years comes into the picture.) After that point, if a vehicle changed hands it had to be titled to the new owner, even if it was never titled originally because of its age. To title an older vehicle in MS, you are required to have two consecutive notarized bills of sale. Otherwise there are the usual bureaucratic hoops to jump through.
Piece o'cake! I just did this on a vintage Ariel motorcycle with a notarized bill of sale. Presented the BOS, signed the purchase amount affidavit for the sales tax, paid the fees, and in two weeks, the new TN title was in the mailbox. Of course I live in a small county seat, where it's EASY. Three ladies who know what they're doing, and say "Thank you, hon". Unlike the lazy, know nothing beauracrats with an attitude that I used to deal with in Memphis.
This even rings true right here in California! (I avoid the 'big city' of Merced, and drive a few more miles to the smaller town DMV. The ladies there are also resourceful, and polite. I have contempt for city bureaucrats that could be construed as 'politically incorrect!'
Retro motors is correct about Mississippi. It can be frustrating to get it done. Inconsistent understanding of the law. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
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